Masque's Harlequin
by PlainReader
Summary: At the lost of his powers, Ichigo realize this is just the beginning of a bigger ruse. One which he doesn't know who is who. Like in a Masques ball everyone with masks and no one know everything. And the Players are playing a very dangerous game. One that could change all the worlds. Secrets, lies, love triangles, and shocking realizations. Worth Read. Harem MxM
1. Chapter 1

"Ichigo Kurosaki, son of my sons, it is time for you to know your past and future to know your destiny. Come and fear not, my son, you are with family." A calm voice in the middle of a bright warm light echo with a sad connotation.

Ichigo blink blocking the vivid light in front of him. Before stepping determinedly towards intoxicating warmth it produced, without caring for cautions or thinking about it.

The intense light fade to normal once inside whatever that place was. Opening his eyes, Ichigo slowly taking in his surroundings, without understanding. Standing in a beautiful garden path, everything around him was golden. The green leafs, strong trees, bright strip lilies among other, even the clear pond with kio fishs glow with soft convivially in soft golden tones.

"Ichigo, son, do forgive me and your forefathers for making you pay the price for our indulges."

"Who are you?" Ichigo's dry throat made him stumbling over his words as he asked breathless at the sight around me. Ichigo glance around, looking the homey old-style Japan house and the sea without seeing who was talking.

"I am the reason of your pain. I am the reason of your future suffering. I am the reason of your mask, dear son." The voice whisper behind him.

Ichigo turn to see… himself.

Ichigo but not Ichigo. Not like his hollow Shiro. He was like Ichigo, but seem hugely tall. Through he was a inch or two taller than the real Ichigo . Had the same bright orange hair, but longer slick back on a side with hair pin similar to Byakuya yet so different. In fact this Ichigo looked similar to Byakuya, with high quality clothes, manners and mask. But this new Ichigo was open and friendly unlike Byakuya.

"Forgive me Ichigo," He said to Ichigo as he reach for the real Ichigo .

"Learn about you, your heritage, your destiny. Learn about past, learn about your truly enemy, Ichigo." The elegant Ichigo said as his lay his hand on Ichigo's head.

Ichigo's mind burn like elegant Ichigo had stab him with a white –hot rods instead of a faint brush of fingertip. The pain grew as the light grew intense. Ichigo was drowning in a glow burning light.

"Remember this Ichigo, when you are ready, when it is time. Ichigo remember this, and try to forgive your fathers. Try to forgive me, Ichigo."


	2. Chapter 2

It was rain as Ichigo sat on his bed with his legs bent at the knee propping his elbows as his hands in fist in front of his mouth. Ichigo sat there starring at the wall with unseeing eyes. The rain was the only echo in the room. Raindrop hit the ground like bloody body, hard and wet. The thunder like roaring battle cries…or screams of endless pain.

Yet despite all that he could not hear the deafen thunders or tapping of the rain, the banging of the plants and trees, nor the occasional splashing by the cars. Even if he strains his hearing, he could not hear his sisters' or his father's breathing.

Sating on his bed with the sheets pool at his lap as Ichigo lay his head on his knuckles staring unseen at the window. Despite of the blurring imagines of color and shapes almost decipherable, Ichigo was not see anything expect flashes. Nothing clear, like his dreams. Dream that woke him up sweaty, gasping, in the gripping of fear, scare beyond anything he knew.

This dreams which were not dream but memories more, flashes before him. So fast, so different, with no time constants between them. Yet there was something similar among them. They all had people he loved dead. Ichigo couldn't distinguish how or the scene correctly. And so cold, distance.

But the smell of metallic rust was one smell he would never forget, one smell that dominate each flashes. Each time more overpowering and more spilled. Blood. Fear, disbelief and anger companion the smell.

Only at the end of each dream a cold voice repeated, "if you want to stop it, come to me."

Yet tonight that same voice said something else. Something that left him shaken a bit.

"Come and die or regret it forever."

Despite of flashes and the cold voice, there seem no there's was no way out. Both options seem to promise pain and even death.

And if that was not all, the dream he had had since he was a kid. The only dream he could remember clearly but nothing all. The dream with gold, with warmth, with voice talking without said a word was coming back more forceful than before. Trying to tell me something, apparently. For the first time he could hear some of the words. But it was still unclearly

He sigh, before standing up and getting dress quiet. He knew he was going to die, something about the Golden dream or the recent dream of Flashes of Death, promise it so.

Quietly, he walked out of his room into his sister's. Leaning against the doorway, I saw Karin sleep as her spirit pressures continue growing. The feelings of pain and worriment filled him once again. Was she going to suffer like him? Was she going to take his duties?

She still refuse to admit seeing ghost and hollows. But they both knew it was a matter of time.

Yuzu was probably the luckiest of us. She could not see or hear ghost. That protect her. But there's also a chance hers grow, a faint chance, but a chance never the less. Ichigo smile as she curled more in her sleep and tighten grip on Kon. He walking and pull the cover over her, smiling as she snuggle more towards the warmth

Ichigo sigh, and walked away, pass the door that led to the clinic. Before stop, sighing, glance in. There was Ichigo's father, sleeping on his desk.

Despite of the all the misunderstandings, Ichigo loves his father. Giving one of the blankets in the clinic, he place on his father and left.

Calmly, he walk out into the storm, which hadn't lessen. Walking Ichigo briefly thought on Orihime, Ishida, Chad and others.

Would them care about my death? They had left him on his own shortly after he lost his powers. Chad was rarely home or at school. Ishida had taken complete over my duties. And Orihime, she tried but she was…her.

Not once did the other came and visit. Not Urahana, or Yoruichi.

They all had left him alone.

Sighing, Ichigo shook those thoughts away. He was not going there.

Ichigo, step into the street as the sign to walk bright glow under the rain. He didn't stop as he saw the glowing lights of a speeding truck. He fought his reflex to jump away, as the truck squeak trying to stop. He didn't cry as the metal slowly but rapid pierce his body. He didn't fight as his soul seep out his body.

Ichigo just close his eyes, and waiting for everything to settle down, as he felt particles of himself disband and moving

Blink his eyes open, he stood in the middle of a hallway leading to an open room. Ichigo around as take in, the sunlight open hallway, with golden and reds shades. He walk along the hallway into the open room which reveal to be a throne room. With marble steps that transform into a marble throne chair.

An empty marble throne chair.

"Ichigo, come closer. Do not fear." A voice call out. The same cold voice that call me in my sleep, some where around me.

"Who are you? Why did you kill? Why did you did you shown me those images?" Ichigo yell wanting to his act of stupid brute, he was not a friend or…enemy yet.

"Ichigo, do not fear. I did what is necessarily, yet you are not dead. You are in what humans call 'lido' or 'coma', you would decide whether you do or not do."

"What you mean?" Stepping forward towards the throne room.

"Ichigo, I am Rey, The Soul King." The voice echo as a humanoid figure appear in the chair. It, being of no defined sex similar to a Kent Doll, had big full black eyes and short hair.

"What?"

"You are not dead because you do not have Spirit Pressure, restiu, and you couldn't handle being here. Yet I need to talk to you. I need to help me. "

"What do you mean help you? The Soul King? Why didn't you help us with Aizen?" Ichigo yelled as he stomped carefully into the throne till he was in front of the King.

"Yes, I am the Soul King, Ichigo. As for Aizen, I am sorry, I followed the rules set upon me. Something I regret completely, I wish to atone for my mistake. I wish to atone for not following your example. I want to gift you and the others something precious to atone for my mistakes."

"What you do mean? What rules?"

"Ichigo, please, follow me" The king said leading to back to the hall. "Ichigo these are my ancestry, they were the kings before me, and through the years they all follow a rule. Not get involved in with Soul Society, World of Living, Heuco Mundo or anywhere else; to be rule only in within this palace."

"Why? That is stupid."

"As you see, Ichigo" as they both arrive at the first and last portrait, " do you notice how they all different?"

Ichigo glance back pretending to just notice. "What?"

"Long ago there, all the worlds were connected and share. Things were simpler, or so I was told. There was the Hell for the Condemned, Eternity Rest for those of Goodwill, and Soul Society for those whom were neither bad nor good."

"There, everything was under the Soul King, and it was stable. The rich were rich yet the poor had more than enough to live by comfortable. Yet in this utopia the Soul King had two sons. Both whom fell in love; one with a woman in Soul Society and the other with a young maid in the World of the Living."

"Yet as both men fought for their beloved, but the oldest prince, was the fight with the King as well. They fought about how things were leading. Because their beloved were in different realm that was destroying the balance. The other had followed the King blindly and for the first time, he fought the King for his love."

"In the end, both princes and their beloveds died with hundreds more. As they work to still together, they broke the balance. After that, the king closed all the worlds to avoid this again. Since the King Soul didn't have no more sons. He had to choose a successor, and since they that has been the way of the Kings."

"He," the King waved his hand at the portrait, "the first one, Ichigo. Even since then, the King has to pick the soul with the highest spirit pressure, among other requirements to rule after him."

"What does this have to done with me?" Ichigo shouted confuse, despite of Ichigo having a inkling idea of where this was going.

"I want to atone for my errors." The King walk to the other side of the hallway where there was window that overview of the blue.

"I knew what was happening, but I didn't do anything because of the damn rule. For that I want to give them, a very precious gift to atone. I want to give them gift of life, of love, of eternity happiness. I want to give them their beloveds."

The king stare his black eyes straight at Ichigo, "Most of all, Ichigo, I want to give you your beloved. Before I take you."

"Take me?!"

"Ichigo, you are the next Soul King."


End file.
